Perry anxiety on the Hill

Jonathan Martin and Jake Sherman survey the House GOP and find budding concern about Rick Perry as a national standard-bearer:

In a series of interviews, uncommitted Republican members praised the Texas governor’s economic record but called his suggestion that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is guilty of treason a serious misstep and said that kind of inflammatory talk could scare off swing voters.

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House Republicans from heavily suburban districts were particularly uneasy about the Bernanke remark and Perry’s refusal to say whether President Obama is a patriot. These members, some of them facing potentially tough re-election campaigns next year, urged the White House hopeful to stick to core issues of jobs and spending.

“You can’t be calling Bernanke a traitor and you can’t be questioning whether or not Barack Obama loves America, that type of thing,” said Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and veteran Long Island incumbent. “I’ve been with Perry a few times, and I can see how he could project, again, if it’s done the right way. But no, if he continues this, he’ll have a tough time.”

Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), who lost his seat in the 2006 Democratic sweep only to win it back in last year’s Republican resurgence, represents the Boston suburbs that line his state’s southern border and bridled at the Bernanke statement.

“Intimating the Federal Reserve Chairman is guilty of treason is not going to create more confidence in voters about you,” said Bass, whose father also served in Congress. “I would suspect Gov. Perry regrets that statement.”

Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), the Chief Deputy Whip and an emerging political powerhouse in suburban Chicago, added of the treason reference: “That’s not something you want to lead with if you’re trying to get independents to come your way. I would imagine that he’s thinking through his strategy.”